PLEASE CAREFULLY READ OUR DISCLAIMER!
Please Note That Postings Below From Fellow Cruisers Are Listed in Chronological Order, Based on Publication Date
Yellow Background Denotes Navigation Alert Postings
Lake Worth South Light 1 destroyed, temp onsite
Great Pocket Daybeacon 3A destroyed
In Rochester, New York, a little wooden box lay forgotten on an estate table sale; a knickknack bought by a Florida tourist more than a century ago.
A souvenir box made in Mauchline, Scotland, depicts a banyan tree on Pitts Island, now known as Munyon Island, near North Palm Beach. That’s Singer Island beyond. PHOTO BY GINGER L. PEDERSEN
A souvenir of Florida’s nearly forgotten past
Ginger L. Pedersen for Palm Beach Florida Weekly
Fort Pierce Inlet leads directly to Fort Pierce City Marina, A CRUISERS NET SPONSOR. Fort Pierce City Marina’s entrance channel runs to the west, just south of the Fort Pierce high-rise bridge, and well north of AICW marker #188. Photos courtesy of Coastal Society.
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Fort Pierce City Marina
It makes sense, as residents have advocated for months — more than 3,000 signed a petition — to adopt strict speed limits and keep power boats from generating oversized waves big enough to swamp smaller boats, knock paddlers off boards and endanger visitors looking to enjoy a serene weekend on the water.
Editorial: Cut speed limits where boaters, swimmers share Intracoastal – Palm Beach Post
Palm Beach Post
A fun photo collection of Palm Beach parades from years past.
Boat parades in South Florida: Boats with holiday light decor sail on – Palm Beach Post
Palm Beach Post
This bascule FEC RR bridge crosses the Waterway west of Jupiter Inlet.
FLORIDA – EAST COAST – BETHEL SHOAL TO JUPITER INLET – LOXAHATCHEE RIVER FLORIDA EAST COAST RAILROAD
BRIDGE: Bridge Replacement
Scott Bridge Company Inc., acting on behalf of the bridge owner Florida East Coast (FEC) Railway, will be replacing the Loxahatchee River Railroad Bridge. The replacement of the FEC RR Bridge across the Loxahatchee River is expected to commence late July 2020. To facilitate launching barges, a temporary access bridge will constructed on the northwest corner of the RR Bridge. The access bridge may extend slightly into the northern edge of the channel. The contractor will perform the bridge/trestle replacement from an 80’ x 80’ spud/crane barge and 85’ x 140’ catamaran/crane barge. All in-water equipment shall be properly lighted. At no time will the entire waterway be closed to navigation without prior Coast Guard approval. Anticipate future waterway restrictions and/or closures. If you have any questions regarding the waterway, please contact USCG Sector Miami Waterways Division at (305) 535-4317, email D07-PFSECMIAMI-MARINE-PERMITS@USCG.MIL
UPDATE
From July 13, 2020 through August 3, 2020, the contractor will be conducting soil borings on the west side of the bridge from two spud barges. No work will be performed in the channel and equipment will be properly lighted.
Ref: LNM 27-20 Chart: 11474
As COVID-19 cases surge, let’s hope this requirement is not too little, too late.
Masks to be required in public places in Palm Beach County
Sun Sentinel
Originally scheduled for March 26-29, the show has been rescheduled for May 14-17 in West Palm Beach.
PBIBS20: New May dates picked for Palm Beach boat show
The Triton
Always good to get positive recommendations for emergency repairs. Thank you Captain Skip.
We were down in Jupiter and needed a tow to safety only to find out that the motor may have been blown. I contacted Big Diesel Marine @ 772 215 7663. The repair guys came out at night and found a bent push rod and repaired the motor the next day on a holiday. I strongly recommend this firm and am glad we made it home safe. Again! BIG DIESEL MARINE 772 215 7663
Captain Skip Jacobs
Comments and complaints from boaters about being hassled by law enforcement in this anchorage have been around for years and anchoring regulations seem to change with each new Florida administration and legislation. If you have anchored in Lake Worth recently, let us hear about your experience with law enforcement while on the hook. Our thanks to Fontaine Jean-Claude for this warning.
Please advise of the latest regulation for anchorage at Lake Worth North, Last spring i was informed by a city police and receive a warning for anchorage a this area. The police told me this area is not authorized for anchorage as per Federal law.
Fontaine Jean-Claude
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of the Northern Lake Worth Anchorage
We stayed in anchorage #2 across from Rybovich marina last month without problems. The thunderstorms were so bad we wanted plenty of room if we dragged in the middle of the night.
The proposed ordinance would require owners of boats anchored for more than seven days in a row in Jupiter to register with the town’s police.
Talking is over: Jupiter has a plan to address unsightly boats on its waters
Palm Beach Post
So how are they going to determine/know if I have anchored for 7 days.? Are they going to have a marine meter maid going around and placing a mark on my hull? Are they going to rely on word of mouth?
Florida law 327.60 clearly states:
This chapter and chapter 328 do not prevent the adoption of any ordinance or local regulation relating to operation of vessels, except that a county or municipality may not enact, continue in effect, or enforce any ordinance or local regulation:
(c) Regulating any vessel upon the Florida Intracoastal Waterway;
and,
(f) Regulating the anchoring of vessels outside the marked boundaries of mooring fields permitted as provided in s. 327.40
This proposed bylaw clearly violates both of those subclauses of 327.60. Just what makes Jupiter think they can do this? Furthermore, who is going to stop them?
I realize there is a problem, but communities violating state laws is not the way to resolve it. Perhaps if Florida hadn't created taxation issues for all the mom and pop marinas that used to be in existence, there'd still be affordable dockage for these boats.
The issue of excessive speed and wake in this narrow, crowded portion of the Waterway has been an issue for several years, see 2017 AICW Speed Zone on public meetings held in Jupiter.
Click here for Calls to create no-wake zone in popular Jupiter waterway
WPEC
Recent reports of cruisers being harassed by law enforcement in Florida anchorages prompted experienced cruiser Wally Moran to begin a campaign against illegal infringement of boaters’ rights. See Anchorage Harassment. Jeffrey Moran (no relation to Wally) is the first to respond to our call for details.
A friend forwarded me your call on Cruisers Net for examples of recent harassment for anchoring by local Florida officials. I was subject to such harassment recently, as recounted in the attached PDF file. The experience has cost me money (unplanned marina fees) and left me reluctant to return to North Palm Beach where the incident occurred, or even to cruise Florida waters at all. I hope you (and Wally Moran – no relation as far as I know) are successful in your efforts to address this harassment by local authorities.
Kind regards,
Jeffrey Moran
“Sail La Vie”
May 6, 2019
To whom it may concern,
There is a large anchorage in North Palm Beach, Florida, close to Old Port Cove Marina (OPCM) and not too far from Parker Bridge – but more than ½ mile from the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) – that is popular with snowbirds like me, who travel up and down the ICW following the seasons. Because it is not too far from the Lake Worth Inlet, this anchorage is also popular with boaters who are staging to cross over the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas. The anchorage is so large (it is over 1/3 mile wide) that there is space to safely accommodate scores of boats. Adding to the anchorage’s popularity, a nearby dinghy landing gives access to grocery stores, restaurants, pharmacies, marine supply stores, and many other services a boater might need.
While I sometimes stay in the nearby OPCM, I also like to stay in this anchorage as well. While I was anchored there in April, taking care of some local business (see below) and getting ready to head north for the season, a Sherriff’s patrol boat came alongside my boat – which is clean and well maintained – and the Deputy piloting the patrol boat informed me that anchoring was not permitted in this area and he then issued me a warning citation for “Interference with Navigation”. (I was lucky to get just a warning; the Deputy had the option of ticketing me.)
The Sherriff’s patrol boat then visited every other boat in the anchorage to inform their owners and crew that they were interfering with navigation and that they needed to leave. The Deputy told me that he comes through the anchorage once a week; there is also a report on Active Captain from another boater last February of the Sheriff doing the exact same thing – so policing this anchorage is a committed, long term effort on the part of the Sherriff’s department.
When I received my warning, I was safely anchored well outside of any marked channels and over half a mile from the ICW; some of the boaters visited by the Sheriff on the day I received my warning were even farther away.
Boats navigating through this anchorage or to the marinas nearby are not impeded by the boats anchored here; navigation is so easy that high speed boats sometimes blast through the anchorage on weekends towing children on inner tubes. No reasonable person could conclude that there is any interference with navigation resulting from the boats anchored here. This anchorage has been used – and used safely, in all sorts of weather – by thousands of visiting boats for many years. It would not be an exaggeration to say that if anchoring here interferes with navigation then it would not be possible to anchor anywhere in the United States without interfering with navigation. My surmise is that “interference with navigation” is merely a pretext for clearing all the boats from the anchorage.
Although I am a snowbird and I travel the US east coast in my boat, I am a Florida resident and I consider the Lake Worth area to be my “home base”. After I retired, I moved my bank here, my doctors here, and my lawyer here. I have spent many tens of thousands of dollars on goods and services in this area just over the last two years (and paid taxes on these transactions). Although this interaction with the Sherriff’s department has made to feel like riffraff, I’m a responsible person who continues to make a contribution to society and to this local community, even when that contribution is merely financial. Here, for example, is a rundown of what I’ve contributed to the local economy just since I dropped my anchor here in April:
• The day before I received the warning, I ordered a new ultralight dinghy and outboard from Nautical Ventures in North Palm Beach for almost $5,000.
• I ordered a new life raft from Inflatables International in Riviera Beach for about $5,000.
• I spent several hundred dollars at the local West Marine in North Palm Beach.
• I spent several hundred dollars at local grocery stores, pharmacies, and restaurants and other local businesses.
• I paid for visits to my physicians at Mt. Sinai Heart and Jupiter Internal Medicine, both in Jupiter, as well as for labs at Quest Labs in Palm Beach Gardens (total value well over $1,000).
Because I had doctor’s appointments to keep and also needed to wait for the delivery of my dinghy and life raft, when the Sherriff’s Deputy told to move out of the anchorage I really couldn’t just leave. As a consequence, I relocated to OPCM. While this is a nice marina and I do stay here sometimes, I hadn’t planned to stay there for more than a few days on this trip to do laundry and a few boat maintenance tasks. But I’ve had to stay at OPCM for several weeks in order to keep my appointments and to receive my orders, a stay that has cost me several thousand dollars I shouldn’t have had to spend. (In fact, I had planned to spend that money at the nearby Premier Dentistry in North Palm Beach to have some crowns put on – but that won’t be happening now.)
The way things stand now, I don’t consider the area around this anchorage as welcoming to snowbirds like me or to those heading to the Bahamas who wish to anchor rather than to stay in a marina for the duration of every visit. I’m disheartened by all this and I’m pessimistic that my small voice will be able to change any of the minds that matter regarding current policy for this anchorage. So unless I hear that things have changed, I guess I’ll just “move along” as the local authorities seem to desire; but when I do I’ll relocate my essential services (banking, medical, and legal) someplace more accommodating, and I won’t stop here again or spend any more money here during my seasonal migrations. I know from my travels that there are other, friendlier places to visit and to spend money.
Kind regards,
Jeffrey Moran
“Sail La Vie”
Unfortunately, to fight this, someone is going have to do what Dave Dumas did in Marco Island many years ago. Get prepared with a lawyer and then defy the order to move, get ticketed and go to court fully prepared. Once the city/county is shown to be in violation of the state law, only then will this stop. At least in that jurisdiction.
Also, to the cruiser who reported this story, be sure to write letters to those companies you spent the money with and explain why you won't be returning.
Among our readers there must be several who are experienced in cruising the AICW in a vessel this size. If so, please let us hear from you. Maybe Chief Officer Perks will take you along as Pilot!
Good morning,
I am currently trying to find any information I can about cruising in Northern Florida. We are a 151ft vessel with a 8ft draft. We would like to cruise the Jacksonville, St Augustine and Cape Canaveral areas. Is there anyone you recommend for me to talk with about the ICW routes and Marinas that could accommodate us?
Thanks in advance,
Andrew Perks
Chief Officer – Motor Yacht Time for Us
Hope you have good anchors. Just plan on staying near the inlets, any venture up or down the ICW from Jax or St Aug would be most difficult with your draft. Plenty of dockage for you in downtown Jax on the St Johns, but watch the currents since it rips thru downtown on the outgoing tide. Call ahead in St Aug for assistance with the inlet as it shoals as fast as they move the buoys. Port Canaveral is your best shot, no current, extremely safe inlet and once into the Indian River you will have deep ICW north and south for at least 20 miles, but no marinas outside Port Canaveral that will accommodate your size (both length and mass) pushing on their docks.
With an 8 foot draft , parts of the ICW can only be safely run at high tide. After leaving Haulover as you arrive at Daytona, do not take any of the side channels. Just before Matanzas, make sure you hug the GREEN side of the channel. Recommend taking bridge of lions at the start of an incoming tide. You will be pushed to the west side of the bridge during transit.
I’ve pushed 200’ barges on the route with a 7 foot draft so it’s doable with care
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District announces details for the public scoping meeting in Fort Lauderdale regarding the development of the new Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual (LOSOM). The meeting locations listed in the link below include Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Miami Gardens.
Our thanks to Specialist Erica Skolte for this notice.
Click here for Corps announces public meeting in Ft. Lauderdale on Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual
Contact
Erica Skolte
561-340-1527
561-801-5734 (cell)
Erica.A.Skolte@usace.army.mil
See Okeechobee Waterway Overview.
Our thanks to Specialist Erica Skolte for this record length Local Notice. This information is essential for safely locking through, especially during storms and emergencies, and should be kept near your steering station.
Notice to Navigation 2019-001 Guidance for Canaveral and Okeechobee Waterway Locks (EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT LOCK PROCEDURES!)
All, please share widely with other interested parties, including our post of Facebook https://twitter.com/JaxStrong and on Twitter @JaxStrong.
Reminder:
If you lock through Canaveral or the Okeechobee Waterway, please put the numbers for the Corps locks into your phone. Remember to listen to any direction offered by the lock operator to ensure everyone’s safety as you lock through!
W.P. Franklin Lock 239-694-5451
Ortona Lock 863-675-0616
Moore Haven Lock 863-946-0414
Port Mayaca Lock 561-924-2858
St. Lucie Lock 772-287-2665
Canaveral Lock 321-783-5421
—————————————————
Notice to Navigation
Notice to Navigation: 2019-001 Guidance for Canaveral and Okeechobee Waterway Locks
Read the NTN: https://www.saj.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Navigation/Notices-to-Navigation/Notice-to-Navigation-2019-001-Guidance-about-Canaveral-and-Okeechobee-Waterway-Lock-procedures/
———————————————————————————————————————
Notice to Navigation: GENERAL:
Reference revised Regulations, 33 C.F.R. 207.300, and their tributaries; use, administration, and navigation, and 33
C.F.R. 207.800, Collection of navigation statistics.
The following information is furnished in addition to the above-referenced regulations to provide guidance about the procedures, control, and management of the locks on the Okeechobee Waterway and Canaveral Harbor Lock. Suggested towboat operations are also included that will enhance safety and reduce damage to Government structures, commercial vessels, and recreational craft.
SAFETY:
1. Vessels shall not pass under dam or spillway gates when they are out of the water and the river is flowing freely through the gate openings.
2. Lockage of leaking, listing vessels or overloaded vessels may be refused. Leaking, listing vessels or overloaded vessels shall be moored in a location outside of the channel and outside of the Arrival Point so as not to interfere with passing navigation.
3. All craft and tows approaching a lock, within a distance of 200 feet of the upper or lower lock gates, shall proceed at a speed not greater than two miles per hour (rate of a slow walk) during normal flow conditions.
4. All tows entering the lock shall be properly aligned with the guide or lock wall.
5. It is the responsibility of the vessel operator to provide adequate mooring lines. The lock operator may require mooring lines to be replaced with satisfactory lines before lockage is made if the lines appear to be of such quality, size, or condition that would make safe lockage questionable.
6. All towboat crews, while locking or moving a tow into or out of a lock chamber, must station themselves to preclude the possibility of being injured by the parting of a cable or line under strain. Single part lines only will be used to check a moving tow. Working lines shall be kept dry and in good working condition to allow lines to be worked properly and to prevent injury to personnel.
7. Towboat crewmembers shall not jump between moving tows and lock or guide walls while preparing for lockage, locking, or departing lock
8. Tabulated below are the minimum numbers of vessel personnel required for handling lines during lockages. The captain/pilot cannot act as a deckhand.
9. All vessels, when in the locks, shall be moored and/or moved as directed by the lock operator.
10. Commercial towing companies shall ensure that vessel operators and boat crew members have received orientation and training in all aspects of deck work and lockage procedures to ensure the safety of personnel, floating plant, and structures.
11. All cylinders or containers holding gases or liquids under pressure or any other chemical or substance shall be securely fastened to the hull of the vessel to prevent their rolling overboard into the lock chamber.
12. All containers holding paint, gasoline, or other volatile materials shall be securely fastened with tight fitting covers.
13. The sides of all vessels passing through the locks shall be free from projections that may damage lock structures or Manatee Protection System sensors. Suitable fenders shall be used with all commercial tows passing through the locks to prevent damage to the lock walls and structures. Fenders shall be cylindrical in shape and no less than 6 inches in diameter. The fenders shall be used on guide walls and lock chambers to protect the structures. The fenders shall be manufactured or fabricated for the purpose of fendering, using woven rope; laminated, molded reinforced, natural, or synthetic rubber, or other suitable material. Single, double, or triple strands of mooring line, with or without knots, and old tires will not be considered as suitable fenders. Lock operators may refuse lockage to all commercial and recreational vessels and/or tows not conforming to the above.
OPERATIONAL ASPECTS:
PART A. RECREATIONAL CRAFT
1. Commercial fishing craft and Vessel Delivery craft are included in the classification “recreational craft” when considering the precedent at the locks. Operators of recreational craft and their passengers are required to wear Coast Guard approved PFDs during lockage. All vessels will be required to turn off engines during lockages to include bow thrusters.
2. Personal watercraft of the “sit-down” variety, (those you sit on and ride), will be accepted for lockage. The “stand-up” variety, (those that require the vessel to be moving for the operator to be out of the water), will not be accepted for lockage unless the craft is tied off to and locked through with an approved vessel, and the operator of the “stand-up” craft boards the approved vessel. Operators of personal watercraft and their passengers are required to wear Coast Guard approved PFDs during lockage.
3. Kayaks and canoes will be locked without other vessels in the chamber for safety reason. Operators and their passengers are required to wear Coast Guard approved PFDs during lockage.
4. Paddleboards, sailboards and surfboards will not be locked.
5. Lock operators may refuse lockage to all commercial and recreational vessels and/or tows not conforming to the above.
PART B. COMMERCIAL TOWS
1. Lock Personnel will monitor the Marine Channel 13. All tows awaiting lockage shall monitor the appropriate lock channel at all times.
2. Radio communications between a lock and an approaching tow are required at all times. All tows shall have a positive two-way voice communication between the pilot and the head of the tow to facilitate proper and safe approach to the lock guide wall and subsequent entrance into the lock chamber. All tows that decide to switch to another channel during the locking process for communication with their deckhands will be required to inform the lock personnel as to what channel they are changing to. Prior to beginning each lockage, procedural aspects of the lockage will be coordinated between the lock and vessel operators in an effort to insure a mutual and thorough understanding of the locking procedure.
3. At no time will a tow or barge be left unattended. Tows will not tie off to mooring dolphins overnight or any unnecessary length of time during hours of operation.
4. Under normal conditions, tows that can be arranged to avoid a double lockage shall be rearranged prior to approaching the lock. Non-compliance will result in not being assigned a lock turn, until tow has been rearranged to comply or until no other vessel awaits lockage. In a knockout lockage, the towboat shall be placed in the hole alongside the rear barges and should be located sufficiently forward to allow for ample clearance between its stern and the gates. While exiting from any lockage, the towboat shall proceed slowly to reduce backwash action and possible damage to lock gates.
5. Towboats, when entering a lock, must remain fully attached to the barges until the tow has been stopped and properly moored. Barges within the tow configuration must be properly cabled. Lockage may be refused if lock operator considers barge couplings inadequate.
6. When leaving the lock in down bound movement, rearrangement of tows in motion will be permitted while passing out of the lock at the discretion of the lockmaster. If there is a floating plant, bridges, or other structure located immediately downstream from the lock, these procedures shall not be used.
7. Lockage lengths in excess of 230 feet, but not more than 245 feet, will be permitted in a 250 foot chamber with the following conditions:
a. The vessel operator shall inform the lock operator by radio, prior to arrival, as to the precise overall length of an integrated tow (single lockage) or the cut lengths of a multiple lockage, the number of barges in the tow, cargo type, and tonnage. Failure to provide all information may result in refusal of lockage.
b. The pilot shall be in the pilothouse and be in constant radio contact with lock personnel during the entire lockage procedure.
c. Experienced deck personnel shall be stationed at each end of the tow to monitor movement.
8. When requested, the pilot of the towboat shall provide an accurate description of the contents of any covered or tank barge in their tow. Transiting of the locks with unknown cargos will not be permitted. All towboat pilots are required to provide accurate, detailed information concerning commodity classification and tonnage. Lockage turn may be forfeited if tow pilots do not provide this data.
9. All deck barges loaded with rock, scrap material, construction equipment and other material shall be loaded to allow for safe passage of crew members along the edge of the barges. A minimum of 2 feet of clear space shall be maintained along the edge of all of the barges. To protect the lock walls and equipment, nothing loaded on the barge shall extend beyond this 2-foot clear space from the edge of the barge. The barges shall be loaded such that the material does not move or fall into the 2-foot wide clear space while moving or transporting the barges. Additionally, material shall be loaded on barges such that it will not become dislodged or moved during the locking process, possibly falling off the barge into the lock chamber or coming to rest protruding off the edge of the barge. Lock operators may refuse lockage to all commercial tows not conforming to the above.
10. When moving or making up tows prior to leaving the lock in an upbound movement, towboat operators are required to keep all barges secured to the lock or guide wall. Generally, the deckhand will not release snubbing and holding lines from the lock or guide walls until the towboat is properly secured to the tow. For a single lockage, with a towboat only set over, deviating from this procedure will be allowed if the immediate situation will permit
safe departure under power and a lock operator walks a line out with the tow until the towboat is again adequately secured to the tow. However, when moving barges from the lock chamber, it is the responsibility of the vessel master to assure that adequate lines and personnel are available for safe handling and mooring of the tow or sections to the lock or guide walls. Sufficient personnel shall remain with the other sections to assure its security.
11. It is the responsibility of the Vessel Master to ensure that deckhands that are assisting with lockages are familiar with the location and proper use of life saving devices or rescue equipment such as safety blocks and ring buoys and are wearing Coast Guard approved PFDs during lockage.
12. Outdraft warning signs are not used on the Okeechobee waterway or at Canaveral Harbor Lock. All tow boat operators upon request when calling a lock system will be provided with the Dam Gate opening, if applicable and available, the upper and lower river gages and the current river predictions as provided by the National Weather Service. All Decisions concerning the existence of an outdraft and the effect of said outdraft will have upon their tows will be made by each vessel operator.
13. Waterways Action Plans provides the marine industry, U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), States and local governments with a plan for facilitating the safe and orderly movement of traffic during extreme conditions on the inland rivers.
14. Barges will be moored to the lock wall at all times during the lockage cycle. On all lockages, deckhands will not remove mooring lines until signaled to do so by the lock operator. This will be done by use of a whistle or by verbal command. On knockout single cut lockages, once the deckhand has been signaled to remove the mooring lines, the tow boat may proceed out of the chamber and the tow boat may face back up to the tow as the tow moves forward. If requested by the deckhand, the lock operator will assist to moor the tow to the lock wall once the tow has moved a sufficient distance along the wall so that the tow boat can face up to the tow. On all set-over lockages, the tow will move far enough along the wall to provide room to set the barges back over and face up to the rest of the tow. The tow will then be moored to the wall until the face up process is completed. The lock operator will then remove the mooring lines at the request of the deckhand. On all multiple cut lockages, the cut will be pulled from the chamber using the assistance from a helper boat. The tow will then be moored to the wall outside of the chamber until the remaining cuts of the tow have been faced up to the first cut. Once the tow is faced up and ready to depart, the mooring lines will be removed by the lock operator at the request of the deckhand.
15. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains an eight foot channel depth. Draft of vessels: No vessel shall attempt to enter a lock unless its draft is at least three (3) inches less than the least depth of water over the gate sills. Information concerning control depth over sills can be obtained from the District Navigation Charts. For general purpose information Route 1 has a maximum recommended of 8 feet @ 14.00 ft NGVD 1929. Route 2 has a maximum recommended draft of 6 feet @14.00 ft NGVD 1929
PART C: LOCK OPERATIONS DURING TROPICAL STORMS, HURRICANES AND HIGH WATER EVENTS
Notice is given that 72 hours prior to a Tropical Storm or Hurricane making local landfall locks will be open 7 AM to 10 PM supporting vessel safe harbor passage. Lock operations will stop 8 hours prior to land fall as Rail Road and drawbridges will be lowered or rotated and locked into a secure position. It’s important that all vessels are at their intended destination before bridges are secured and passage across the waterway suspended. No mooring will be allowed at any lock, approach walls or dolphins during a storm event.
For Lock Operator safety the locks will:
1. Stop locking vessels or working outdoors if lightning is observed within five miles of the lock and operations will not resume until lightning has not been seen in the area for 30 minutes.
2. Stop locking vessels when winds exceed 35 MPH.
After a storm it could be days or weeks before the waterway is reopen depending on damage to structures and how quickly debris creating navigation hazards can be removed.
Operations during high water and floods in designated vulnerable areas: Vessels operating on these waters during periods when water stages exceed the level of “ordinary high water,” as designated on Corps of Engineers’ navigation charts, shall exercise reasonable care to minimize the effects of their bow waves and propeller washes on river banks; submerged or partially submerged structures or habitations; terrestrial growth such as trees and bushes; and man-made amenities that may be present. Vessels shall operate carefully when passing close to levees and other flood control structures and shall observe minimum distances from banks which may be prescribed from time to time in Notices to Navigation Interests. Pilots should exercise particular care not to direct propeller wash at river banks, levees, revetments, structures or other appurtenances subject to damage from wave action.
Lock operators have no means of pulling tows from the chamber An assist tow will be required of sufficient size to maintain safe control of the tow in any wind or current condition.
Lock hours are based on USACE Inland Marine Transportation System (IMTS) Standard Levels of Service.
Canaveral Harbor:
Canaveral Lock 6:00 AM to 9:30 PM Daily (Last lockage starting at 9:00PM)
Okeechobee Waterway:
St Lucie Lock 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM Daily (Last lockage starting at 4:30 PM) Port Mayaca Lock 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM Daily (Last lockage starting at 4:30 PM) Moore Haven Lock 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM Daily (Last lockage starting at 4:30 PM) Ortona Lock 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM Daily (Last lockage starting at 4:30 PM) WP Franklin Lock 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM Daily (Last lockage starting at 4:30 PM)
PART D: USEFUL INFORMATION
Lake Okeechobee water level can be viewed on the Corps of Engineers web site at http://w3.saj.usace.army.mil/h2o/currentLL.shtml
Maximum vessel width and lengths are listed below for each lock. Vessels larger than the maximum dimensions will be refused lockage.
Canaveral Harbor
Canaveral Lock maximum vessel size 85′ X 585′
Okeechobee Waterway
St Lucie, Moore Haven and Ortona Locks maximum vessel size 45′ X 235′ Port Mayaca and W.P. Franklin Locks maximum vessel size 51′ X 385′
REPAIR SCHEDULE FOR 2019
It is anticipated that maintenance and repairs will be performed at the following locations during Calendar Year 2019. This notice may require periodic revision. It is given so that industrial waterway users may have a general knowledge of the lock outages and can plan their operations accordingly. Factors, which may affect this schedule, are the delivery of materials, repairs required but not anticipated, emergency repairs as a result of accidents, and funding.
All interested parties should review the maintenance schedule for impact. Additional notices furnishing specific information and operating requirements will be published approximately two weeks in advance of commencing the work items listed.
Canaveral Harbor:
Canaveral Lock Sector Gate Manatee Screen Repair and cleaning TBD
Okeechobee Waterway:
St Lucie Lock and Dam Sector Gate Manatee Screen Repair and cleaning TBD
Port Mayaca Lock and Dam Sector Gate Manatee Screen Repair and cleaning TBD
Moore Haven Lock and Dam Sector Gate Manatee Screen Repair and cleaning TBD
Ortona Lock and Dam Sector Gate Manatee Screen Repair and cleaning TBD
W.P. Franklin Lock and Dam Sector Gate Manatee Screen Repair and cleaning TBD
For up to date Lock information contact the shift operator 7 AM to 5 PM at:
W.P. Franklin Lock 239-694-5451
Ortona Lock 863-675-0616
Moore Haven Lock 863-946-0414
Port Mayaca Lock 561-924-2858
St. Lucie Lock 772-287-2665
Canaveral Lock 321-783-5421
Point of contact is Gary Hipkins at 863-983-8101.
//signed//
Gary L.Hipkins
Chief Navigation & Flood Risk Management
South Florida Operations
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Thanks for helping to get the word out!
Erica
Erica Skolte
Public Affairs Specialist
Corporate Communications Office
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District
Palm Beach Gardens
NOTE: NEW OFFICE PHONE 561-340-1527
Cell: 561-801-5734
erica.a.skolte@usace.army.mil
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Jacksonville District: A team of professionals making tomorrow better
“Keep Calm and Essayons”
Our thanks to Rebecca Maxwell for this report and anchorage recommendation. The Bingham Islands mentioned as a possible anchorage are on the eastside of the ICW immediately south of the bridge. Flagler Memorial. Royal Park and Southern Blvd bridges were under schedule deviations earlier this year. See Directory Listing below for background information.
Bridge is under construction. Clearance is 65’ at lo tide and variance can be 3+’. Bridge openings are on :15 and :45. Our 63’ mast kept us on the southside awaiting low tide. We anchored overnight in 7’ just north of a small cut off Bingham Island. We were far enough out of the waterway for traffic and the holding was good. If you get caught on the southside of this bridge waiting for the next opening, this is a welcome anchorage.
Rebecca Maxwell
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window Zoomed To the Location of Southern Blvd Bridge
The temporary bridge will have a vertical clearance of 14 feet in the closed position and 65 feet in the open position with a 125-foot wide navigable channel. The bridge will maintain an opening schedule of twice per hour at 15 minutes and 45 minutes past the hour. There may be half-channel closures during construction.
Subject line should read “Southern Blvd Bridge” And this is a temporary lift bridge, with two vertical clearance distances — one in the down position and one in the up position. See photo in website link below
Old Port Cove Marina, A CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, is located on the western shore of the northern Lake Worth channel, near unlighted daybeacon #7. North Palm Beach Marina is found on the southwestern banks of the Waterway south of the North Palm Beach/Parker Bridge.
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Old Port Cove Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of North Palm Beach Marina
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